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The waitress starts to pile food in front of us. I grab my burger and take a huge bite, onions getting away on to the plate. My mouth tingles and waters so hard I think I might embarrass myself. My stomach growls lou
dly and I feel a tingling running through my bones.
“Having fun, Helen?” Roxy laughs, spooning up cherry pie.
“Oh, my God.” I wipe my mouth and look at the burger. “I can’t remember the last time I had anything this good.”
“Well.” Roxy sips her drink. “I did remember at the restaurant to order whole wheat pasta and lite milk in everything. I think that’s why the order took so long.”
I shake my head. “I can’t believe that you went to so much effort. For me.”
“Yeah well. Putting in enough effort to get home before you would have been nice. Checking how much money was I the tin before I took off. That would have been a good effort.”
I chuckle so hard I almost drop my burger. “You didn’t know how much cash was there?”
“Nope. Been poor too long. I thought, no one would keep big money on the kitchen bench. I was sure they were all fives.”
I put the burger down and wipe my hands. “So, you were at the market with a few thousand dollars in your pocket? Unbelievable.”
For a few moments we sit quietly, eating. It’s absurd how much of life I was missing out on before. I’d always been so proud of how I could stay calm in any situation. While other kids were partying until after midnight then worrying about how they were going to get to class in the morning, I was tucked up in bed by eight, homework done, and clothes laid out for the next day.
I didn’t even try to break out in college. The extra freedom only frightened me more. I’ve been lying to myself my whole life, telling myself I’m doing the right thing. Being calm and responsible was the only way to get things done and be successful.
But that’s just an excuse. All I’ve ever done is make excuses.
I didn’t want to get scared. I didn’t want to get excited. I didn’t want anyone to see me lose control. To me, that has always been the scariest thing on the planet.
Then along comes Roxy. The complete opposite of me, even to the point of deliberately showing more emotion to get people to keep their distance. We both poisoned the ground around us, just in completely different ways.
We’re nearly finished our food now and Roxy is chasing up the last crumbs of her cherry pie while I demolish my sundae.
“I think we’ll have to go shopping.” I look down at my plate. “All my boring food at home suddenly seems far from appetizing.”
Roxy laughs. “Okay. But I warn you, I’m going on a health kick. I’ll have to take care of my body if I’m going to be a model.”
I just stare at her, hardly able to believe my ears.
“You want to model? You want to come to work… With me?”
She grins, nodding. “Why not? I’ve done just about everything else. Might as well give it a try. Especially if you say I’m good at it.”
“You are, Roxy, you really are. Everyone’s amazed by you.”
She scowls a little. “I’ve never cared what anyone thought, let alone everyone.”
“Roxy.” I take her hand again. “You just wait. You’re going to be famous. The second the magazine hits the shelves every photographer in the city will be scrabbling to get you in their lens.”
“That will be good for you though, wont it? You need your special section to sell out, don’t you?”
“Roxy.” I rub her hand gently. “It will be good for us.”
The way she tilts her head, I don’t think she has ever been in an ‘us’ situation.
“Now then.” I burrow through my purse for a credit card. “Let me pay for this feast.”
“We could always order more and try to give the waitress the vapors.”
I snort with laughter and I don’t even give a fuck when nearby people stare.
